Dom Samba

Age : 26 Sex : Male Zodiac : Pisces Country : UK City : Leeds
Type : Exclusive mix Genre : House, Disco, Tech, Funk
Hardware : Technics 1210's & Pioneer CDJ 2000's Software : Ableton Live
Biography
Over the past 12 months DomSamba has really been starting to make a name for himself throughout the underground house scene.
From DJing alongside names such as The Martinez Brothers, Hot Since 82, Darius Syrossian, DJ. T and Pete Tong, to setting up his own imprint 'Raw Underground Records' and receiving support from the likes of Hector Couto, DJ Sneak, Maceo Plex, Huxley, Detroit Swindle, Bicep & No Artificial Colours to name but a few...!
He has also received support and respect from his own productions and remixes which have been released on labels such as, Salted Music, Gooseneck Records, Attraction Music, NuPanda Records, Dog Records, Madison Square Records, Purple Gorilla Records & his very own Raw Underground Records.
With even bigger plans in the pipeline for 2014, make sure you keep your eye firmly on DomSamba.
Interview
Smelly Feet Records: Dom - introduce yourself to the Smelly Feet Records audience. What do you want them to know right away?
Dom Samba: Hi everyone, I'm Dom Samba, originally from Brazil, but now living in the UK. I like to make and play music to make people feel good and generally lose their shit!
SFR: What does the UK have to offer in terms of electronic music and its parties, opposed to other cites/countries?
Dom: I think the UK scene is really strong at the moment and has been for some time. There are always cool parties going on and are in some of the most unique spaces I've ever seen. The crowds are always really receptive and up for a good time and they really know their music. I live close to Leeds so I might be being a bit biased, but it's an amazing place with events going on every weekend in some of the best clubs that the UK has to offer.

"I like to play tracks with a lot of percussion and drums, music that has a real groove and a real feel to it."
SFR: Let’s talk about the Knee Deep events. What are some of your greatest memories to date?
Dom: I've been running my Knee Deep events for just over 2 years in a town called Harrogate where I live. It was originally set up as a little party for around 150-200 people to come and let themselves go for one night without having to break their bank by having to travel to one of the major cities to go to a party. We're now running the night at one of the best clubs in the town and we're getting around 800-1000 people at each event. I think the best memory to date was when we had Hot Since 82 back on Boxing Day 2013. The club opened at 10 and by 10:30 there was an hour long queue outside. It was the busiest the club had ever been in the 7 years it has been open, it was crazy.
SFR: Is there anything that you do, which helps you stay unique in a popular and competitive scene?
Dom: I'd like to think that I have my own sort of sound both with my productions and my DJ sets. As my artist name states, I like to play tracks with a lot of percussion and drums, music that has a real groove and a real feel to it. I don't tend to shop or even look on any of the major download sites any more as everyone is buying that shit up and playing it so I like to take a bit more time and really search for those gems that I'm looking for. I'm currently in the process of going back to playing full vinyl sets as that's what I started on back when I was 11 and it's so much more exciting and I find it a lot easier to express myself behind a pair of 1210's instead of behind some CDJs and some USB sticks. Obviously it takes more time to hunt through wax and it costs a hell of a lot more than a £1 MP3 but that's the beauty of digging. You have to really invest the time and money to find those tracks that are going to work for you and that nobody else might have.
"My taste is really eclectic so I like to have an open mind about whatever it is I'm listening to and I like to have an open mind before my gigs as well. I don't really plan anything before a gig, I just go with the flow."

SFR: You also run your label, Raw Underground Records - can you tell us a little bit about the direction you are taking with the sound and what to expect in the future?
Dom: Yeah, I've been running the label for about 2 years now and things are going really well! We've gained support and plays from the likes of; Leftwing & Kody, DJ Sneak, Hector Couto, Darius Syrossian, Sidney Charles, Amine Edge & DANCE, Shadow Child, Richy Ahmed and lots more. I'm currently in the process of putting together the first vinyl release with some amazing artists which I'm hoping to release towards the end of the year / early 2016. We're planning showcases all over the UK and looking to go international as well this year so I'm really excited for the future.
SFR: Your song selection as a DJ, we find incredible. What influences the types of grooves and arrangements you select in your sets.
Dom: It's hard to put my finger on that one to be honest. I spend A LOT of time listening to music so I get influence from anything really. My taste is really eclectic so I like to have an open mind about whatever it is I'm listening to and I like to have an open mind before my gigs as well. I don't really plan anything before a gig, I just go with the flow. Of course I may have 1 or 2 tracks in mind that I'd like to play but I just go with what feels right and enjoy myself and try and make sure everyone on the floor does too.

"You have to really invest the time and money to find those tracks that are going to work for you and that nobody else might have."
SFR: Dom, in a few sentences. Tell us about this mix you made for us. Where did you get your inspiration. Is there anything special you want the audience to know?
Dom: My mix for Smelly Feet is all about love! It's a showcase of what wax I'm digging through right now and contains tracks and remixes from some more established artists such as; Urulu and Atjazz to some of the upcoming guys that are on my radar such as; Marlon George and Frits Wentink. I wanted the mix to portray me as a person and an artist. It's full of life, energy, groove, passion and love.
END INTERVIEW
